"Zzzzt—zzzzt…"
The instant the two forms of Haki overlapped—
Several bolts of deep, crackling energy lightning leapt wildly across Romu's arm. The scorching arcs punched straight through the clear air, leaving behind a heavy, burnt smell.
"Conqueror's coating?!"
"How is that possible?!"
Roger stared in shock.
Others might not recognize what they were seeing—
But Roger knew it perfectly.
Conqueror's Haki Coating.
Among the three types of Haki, Conqueror's was the most special.
Maybe one in several million was born with it.
It represented the right to be a king—an innate gift you couldn't obtain through training like Observation or Armament, and couldn't "build" from nothing through effort.
It only grew stronger as the owner's spirit and presence grew stronger.
That alone was rare enough.
But Conqueror's Coating—Haoshoku infusion—
Was a second, far crueler selection.
Only a handful of monsters could reach it.
If Conqueror's was one in millions—
Then Conqueror's coating was one in ten-thousands among that one-in-millions.
Awaken Conqueror's as a child…
…and gain coating as a grown man—
Roger had believed no one could surpass him in Conqueror's talent.
But today, Romu taught him a lesson.
Twenty years old—and already coating.
And not weak coating, either.
How could such a person exist?
"…This is… genius."
"No—"
"A monster among geniuses."
Roger's eyes went vacant as he muttered.
And for the first time in his life, a strange feeling crept into his chest.
If Romu could do this at twenty…
Then what about three years?
Five years?
With talent like this…
Surpassing everyone might not be impossible at all.
Roger's mind spun.
His heart wavered.
His presence thinned—
And his Conqueror's pressure weakened instantly.
The Conqueror's clash that had leaned in his favor…
Was suddenly pushed back.
"No."
"I'm the man who'll become Pirate King!"
"How can I start fearing someone else's talent?!"
Losing ground snapped Roger out of it.
His thoughts cleared.
His eyes sharpened.
Talent was talent.
It wasn't current power.
Roger dropped all doubt.
His spirit surged back.
"Shhk."
With a clean hiss, the Supreme Grade blade Ace flashed free from his waist.
He rested it on his shoulder.
"Romu."
"You've really got nerve."
"Conqueror's coating… huh."
Roger's grin returned.
His battle state returned with it.
His aura rose—
And his Conqueror's counterpushed, reclaiming pressure and suppressing Romu again.
"Not a bad presence," Romu said calmly.
He'd expected it.
His Conqueror's raw strength was likely still below Roger's.
But that was perfect.
Romu had always been the type to grow fiercer against stronger opponents.
HMM—
He swung his left arm—
And it too became wrapped in Ryuo and Conqueror's coating, just like his right.
"Let me feel what your spirit is really like."
Roger's eyes narrowed.
He wasn't just swinging.
At this level, Conqueror's clashing let you taste the opponent's nature.
A kind of interrogation without words.
The next instant—
Both moved.
Roger slashed down.
Romu's hands formed claws.
In a blink—
Blade and hands collided.
Romu's clawed hands clamped down and locked Ace in place.
A pure contest of force began.
BOOM!
A sonic blast burst outward.
The air shattered like glass.
Thick, white streaks ripped across the sky.
With a single exchange—
It felt like the heavens themselves had cracked.
"So you've really got that kind of presence…"
Roger's heart jolted.
Through the sword, he felt it—
Wild. Unbound. Chaotic.
Like a universe before order.
But Roger instantly threw away his shock.
He released his force, ripped Ace free—
And sprang several meters into the air.
Both his arms swelled, wrapped in deep red.
Conqueror's coating.
Ace turned pitch-black with Armament, its pressure becoming oppressive—like a forged black blade.
He raised it high and chopped down toward Romu, roaring—
"Take this!"
Roger wasn't using his absolute limit.
But his Conqueror's coating was at peak.
Because his goal today wasn't to truly finish Romu.
"Come."
Romu tightened his lips.
His coated fists surged upward like thunder.
He'd sensed something from Roger's Conqueror's nature—
Roger wasn't here to fight to the death.
So Romu did the same:
He fought with Conqueror's alone, testing the level of his coating.
Even so—
The power was still monstrous.
CRACK—
Blade and fist met again.
HMM—
When the two violent coats collided, there was no earth-shaking boom.
No exaggerated roar.
Instead—
A circular black hole formed between blade and fist, releasing a terrifying suction.
Even light couldn't escape.
In that instant—
All light in the world was dragged toward the black hole between them.
They held.
Neither yielding.
"Romu!"
"What is your real goal?!"
Roger's curled mustache trembled violently.
"That's a long list," Romu replied.
"Which one do you want?"
"You sharp-tongued brat!"
Roger laughed—but his heart was heavy.
This clash was their absolute peak Conqueror's.
Which meant the "reading" of each other was clearer than ever.
Beyond the chaotic, overlord-like wildness…
Roger now felt something else from Romu.
A faint—
But razor-pure—
Majesty.
Roger knew what that meant.
The destined presence of someone who stands above countless others:
A king.
Wild chaos was the aura of an overlord.
Majesty was the aura of a king.
These were the two strongest "flavors" of Conqueror's.
Most Conqueror's users didn't even possess one cleanly.
Yet Romu carried both.
And Roger's confusion deepened.
"Romu!"
"With your spirit, you'd never accept being beneath someone!"
"Why would you join Rocks?!"
Roger demanded.
"Heh."
"You'll find out when the time comes," Romu answered.
His arm muscles bulged.
His output grew heavier.
The Conqueror's pressure above Romu expanded, steady and forceful—
Until it was beginning to stand toe-to-toe with Roger's.
So this is why you have to fight the peak ones…
Romu felt his Conqueror's grow—just slightly.
And he was satisfied.
He didn't panic even though the opponent was Roger.
Maybe he was still a little below monsters like Roger and Garp right now—
But as long as it wasn't a true apex tyrant like Rocks…
If Romu wanted to leave, he was confident few could stop him.
"The Marines and the World Government aren't as simple as you think."
"There's still time to stop."
"You don't need to make enemies of the Celestial Dragons."
Roger pressed, forcing more power in.
His red aura deepened.
The black on Ace thickened.
Romu laughed in contempt.
"Enemies of the Celestial Dragons?"
"I'll be an enemy of the whole world if I feel like it."
Then, as if remembering something, Romu's smile sharpened.
"Roger."
"You really know how to change your tune depending on who's in front of you."
"I remember when you 'borrowed' Rayleigh's boat."
You told him 'Let's overturn the world together' to drag him into your crew."
"So what now?"
"You're a Marine salesman?"
Roger's mind flashed—
A harbor.
A straw hat.
Rayleigh sprawled on a stolen boat, drinking.
And Roger's own voice echoed, clear as day—
"My name's Roger!"
"Our meeting is destiny, Rayleigh!"
"Wanna overturn this world with me?!"
It all felt like yesterday.
Then Roger's eyes snapped sharp.
That was his first meeting with Rayleigh.
No one should know it.
And it had been years.
"Tell me," Roger said coldly.
"How do you know that?"
Romu laughed loudly.
"Oh, I know a lot more than that."
In this world, there was almost nothing Romu didn't know.
If he'd arrived a few years later…
He'd practically be omniscient.
"Terror-level talent."
"Overlord and king coexisting."
"And he knows my past…"
Roger's chest tightened.
What the hell are you?
He steadied his breath, found the moment—
And pulled Ace back.
Romu's brows lifted.
He retreated at the same instant.
Their force vanished—
And the black hole between their Conqueror's instantly destabilized.
HMM—!
All the swallowed light erupted outward.
A blinding burst like a star shattering—
So bright that even Impel Down, over ten kilometers away, could clearly see the phenomenon.
For that moment—
White light replaced everything.
It became the only thing in heaven and earth.
Time itself seemed to freeze.
Only after dozens of seconds did the light finally drain away, and the world returned.
And the instant the light vanished—
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Blade-flashes.
Thunder-fists.
On that small island—
The two launched into a brutal close-quarters battle once again.
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